The instant invention relates to educational toys and more particularly to an educational toy which may be utilized to aid in the development of a child's manual dexterity and hand-to-eye coordination.
It is a well accepted fact that the development of a child's ability to match and sort elements of various shapes and to position the elements in apertures of corresponding shapes can be a significant factor in a child's early education. In this connection, the mastering of such skills can significantly aid in the development of a child's manual dexterity and hand-to-eye coordination at an early age.
A number of educational devices or toys wherein a variety of differently shaped block elements are sorted and positioned in apertures of corresponding shapes have heretofore been available. In this regard, the U.S. patents to GATES, U.S. Pat. No. 741,903; MILLER, U.S. Pat. No. 2,911,740; MINDEL, U.S. Pat. No. 2,623,303; MATSUMOTO, U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,511; SEIJIRO, U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,717 and TUCKER et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,195,421 are generally illustrative and represent the closest prior art to the instant invention of which the applicant is aware. All of the above patents disclose devices wherein block elements of various shapes may be matched with apertures of corresponding shapes so that the block elements pass through respective apertures.
The instant invention embodies the above described shape-matching concept with significant new and improved features and thereby provides a novel and effective shape-matching apparatus which is both amusing and educational to a child. Specifically, the toy apparatus of the instant invention comprises a first plate having a plurality of differently shaped apertures therein, and a second plate which is hingedly attached to the first plate and which is hingeable between an outwardly pivoted open position and a closed position wherein it is in adjacent, substantially parallel relation to the first plate. A plurality of block elements of shapes which correspond to the shapes of the apertures are receivable in the apertures, and resiliently deflectable retaining means are provided for retaining the block element in their respective apertures while nevertheless allowing the block elements to resiliently pass through the respective apertures upon the application of downward force thereto. Accordingly, the block elements are positionable in the apertures where they are releasably held by the deflectable retaining means; then when the second plate is moved toward its closed position, it engages the block elements and forces them through the apertures. In the preferred embodiment, the apparatus is in the configuration of an amusing character whose mouth is in an open position when the second plate is hinged upwardly and whose mouth is in a closed position when the second plate is hinged downwardly to its closed position.
In addition to the novel shape sorting features of the apparatus of the instant invention, it embodies a novel safety hinge construction which is utilized to hingedly secure the upper second plate to the lower first plate. In this connection, the hinge construction includes a pair of arcuately shaped resilient elements which are integrally attached to the upper second plate. The opposite extremities of the arcuate resilient elements are hingedly attached to the lower first plate; and hence when an obstruction is encountered between the first and second plates as the second plate is pivoted to its closed position, the resilient elements yield allowing the upper plate to be displaced upwardly to provide clearance for the obstruction. Therefore, when a child's finger or the like is accidentally caught between the upper and lower plates as they are hinged together, the upper plate is resiliently displaced, preventing injury to the child's finger.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the instant invention to provide an educational shape-sorting toy apparatus wherein block elements are resiliently retainable in apertures but can be moved through the apertures upon the application of downward force thereto,
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a shape-sorting toy apparatus wherein a plate is hingeable to resiliently depress block elements through correspondingly shaped apertures.
A further object of the instant invention is to provide a shape-sorting apparatus wherein first and second plates are hingeable to urge block elements through correspondingly shaped apertures, but wherein the hinged interconnection between the first and second plates is resiliently displaceable to provide clearance between the plates for an obstruction, such as a child's finger.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a novel construction for a safety hinge for use in children's toys.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.